Sketching coastal flowers
During my recent visit to Skomer Island….see previous blog for more info….I took a lot of photos and was particularly drawn to the white sea campion growing along the rocky shoreline and on the walls. I didn’t get chance to paint it on the spot but have been doing some quick sketches in recent days. Below are some of my photos.
Interestingly when I looked up the meaning of sketch it was described as being a quick observation capturing only the essential details of the subject matter, often used to assist in making a more finished picture. Personally I often prefer artist’s ‘sketches’. They seem more immediate and capture the essence of a subject more than a more detailed considered piece of work. I am trying to figure out the difference between a ‘sketch’ and a loose quick finished ‘painting ‘.
I am working on heavy cartridge A3 with mixed media……charcoal pencil, watercolours, white gouache and I used salt sparingly on a few of the sketches. Using these materials I am able to work really quickly and intuitively, explore different techniques and mark making. It's not about trying to reproduce exactly what is in front of me, just to enjoy being creative with pencil and watercolour and expressing something about what the subject says to me. Some may think working like this just results in a mess but hopefully it is a creative mess. I am sure we can all enjoy and learn something from every painting, messy or not, even the ones we consider poor. And you know there can be a bit in even those ones that you like. You can crop this out or just remember to incorporate what you like about that bit in future work. I am trying to be more experimental in my work and enjoying.
Below are the first two paintings that I did on A3 cartridge with and with out small crops out of the background. They have a similar palette and composition.
This painting looks a little more ‘finished’. I was working more slowly as I was recording for a possible video for my YouTube channel. I used the same materials but worked on watercolour paper instead of cartridge . Is it a sketch or a painting…and does it matter.